# Patient navigation in cancer care

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/patient-navigation/  
OnCo record `patient-navigation` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A patient navigator is a nurse, social worker or trained lay person who helps you through cancer care: booking tests, explaining the steps, sorting out money and transport, and connecting you with support. Many cancer centres have one; ask who yours is.

## Summary

The American Cancer Society National Navigation Roundtable defines patient navigation in the cancer care setting as individualised assistance offered to patients, families and caregivers to help overcome health care system barriers and facilitate timely access to quality health and psychosocial care from pre-diagnosis through all phases of the cancer experience. Navigators include clinical oncology nurse navigators, social work navigators and lay patient navigators; the Roundtable publishes standards for navigation programmes, and the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators runs certification for nurse and patient navigators.

In the US, Medicare has paid for navigation through the Principal Illness Navigation codes G0023 and G0024, which name cancer among eligible conditions. In Australia, McGrath Cancer Care Nurses give free nursing and psychosocial support through treatment. Financial navigation, a narrower service focused on costs, has its own record.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: patient navigator; nurse navigator; oncology nurse navigator; cancer navigator; lay navigator; peer navigator
- Tags: supportive; carer

## Sources

- ACS National Navigation Roundtable: https://navigationroundtable.org/
- Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators: https://www.aonnonline.org/

## Connected records

- collections: [Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+)](https://onco.cc/collections/aonn-plus/), [American Cancer Society National Navigation Roundtable](https://onco.cc/collections/national-navigation-roundtable/), [McGrath Cancer Care Nurses (McGrath Foundation, Australia)](https://onco.cc/collections/mcgrath-cancer-care-nurses/)
- technologies: [Early integrated palliative care](https://onco.cc/technologies/palliative-care/), [Financial toxicity and financial navigation](https://onco.cc/technologies/financial-navigation/), [Oncology nursing and nurse-led care](https://onco.cc/technologies/oncology-nursing/)
- terms: [Medicare Principal Illness Navigation services (G0023, G0024)](https://onco.cc/terms/medicare-principal-illness-navigation/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/patient-navigation.json